NDIS Case Study: Replacing Legacy Banking with Automated Infrastructure
The Challenge: Replacing Legacy Banking with Automated Infrastructure
This Group is a national provider supporting over 2,900 people annually across disability and child and family services (CFS). Operating with approximately 4,000 team members, the organization faced a critical deadline to replace phasing-out NAB debit cards that lacked online shopping capabilities. The primary challenge was managing household expenses across a massive footprint of group homes without direct visibility into transaction history for finance teams.
Current use of SpendAble card
The Provdier currently manages over 500 cards within its national governance framework. House managers hold cards mapped to specific "house names" to facilitate groceries, takeaways, and ad hoc expenses such as holiday presents for clients. Corporate usage ensures service continuity in remote locations by utilizing two cards per house—one active and one spare—while replacing decommissioned corporate banking cards across the Child and Family Services (CFS) and disability sectors.
The Solution: SpendAble’s Governance & Compliance Framework
The Provider transitioned to SpendAble to modernize its financial infrastructure, primarily within its accommodation services in child and family services.
- Immediate Operational Visibility: Unlike legacy banking, SpendAble provides real-time access to transaction data via a portal, eliminating the need for staff to contact finance to check balances or history.
- Custom Security & Controls: The organization utilizes wallet-by-wallet vendor blocking to ensure funds are spent appropriately, particularly in remote locations where ad hoc and online grocery spending is high.
- Standard 4 Compliance Objectives In partnership with their NDIS division which is managed independently, this Provider is aiming to transition more accounts from "house-named" cards to individual client cards. This shift ensures best practice requirements are met while fostering participant autonomy and dignity.
Strategic Outcomes
- Nationwide Rollout: The transition for child and family services (CFS) was achieved in line with a deadline to decommission an existing banking card solution.
- Reporting Clarity & immediate action: house managers, not just finance teams, now have real time visibility on what they are spending money on and what their customers are spending money on. This allows for real time changes - blocking accounts, specific vendors, reducing overspend.
- Participant Empowerment: The infrastructure is moving toward a model where clients receive "pocket money" directly on their own cards, replacing physical cash and building essential life skills.
